390 



other lots, but by feeding an average of .6 of a pound of 

 silage and .87 of a pound of hay daily the lambs did bet- 

 ter than when a full silage ration or a full hay ration 

 was fed. In fact, the corn silage was a benefit in in- 

 creasing the appetite of lambs of lots V and VI, as they 

 consumed more hay and made cheaper gains than lambs 

 of lots VII that did not receive any silage with their ra- 

 tion. 



Bulletin No. 160 of this Station shows the value of 

 a preliminary feeding period with cattle in obtaining 

 comparatively cheap gains before they are put on a feed 

 of grain. This should also be practiced by feeders of 

 lambs but not with corn silage as the sole ration. The 

 range lambs used for the 1915 experiment were turned 

 on a meadow when received and in 44 days gained near- 

 ly 8 pounds per head. This is probably why gains for 

 lambs of 1915 experiment were not so large as those for 

 1914 experiment; also the silage for the 1915 experiment 

 was not so good as silage for the 1914 experiment be- 

 cause corn w r as frosted before it was put into the silo and 

 ears had not reached the glazed stage. 



SUMMARY 



1. Corn silage is not suitable as the sole roughago 

 ration for fattening lambs with grain. 



2. By adding a small quantity of corn silage to the 

 lamb's ration, more uniform and larger gains were made 

 than with lambs not receiving any corn silage. See 

 gains for lots III and IV for both years. 



3. A mixture of oats and corn, half and half by 

 weight, and prairie hay, is not a good ration for fatten- 

 ing lambs. 



4. From Bulletin No. 119 (edition exhausted; 

 lambs receiving rape pasture alone made an average 

 gain, in two experiments, of .34 of a pound daily. By 

 adding corn and oats to the ration of two other different 

 lots for, two experiments, those that received oats made 

 an average daily gain per head of .38 compared to .32 

 daily for the two lots receiving shelled corn while on 

 rape pasture. 



